Page 195 of Fangs
“Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t follow you. Just please cut me free.” I hoped I sounded calm.
“Yeah, I know better than to believe that,” Wolf said, grabbing his gear.
“Wolf, I’m serious.” My voice shook. “Cut me free.”
He ignored me, continuing to get ready, and I realized he wasn’t fucking around. He was going to leave me here tied up. My stomach flipped inside out.
“Wolf!” He didn’t even turn around to look at me. “Wolf! Please!”
He walked to grab his pack and a long, deadly rifle. The rest of his crew stood by the door, watching quietly. I met Lee’s pained eyes, desperate.
“Lee, please don’t leave me tied up. Please don’t?—”
My pleas cut off in shock as he turned his back on me and stepped out the door. Tears sprung to my eyes as the door swung shut behind him. Panic was building in my chest, and I met Scar’s gaze.
“Scar, p-please, I’m not… not lying?—”
She shook her head, her expression closed. “It’s safer this way. I wouldn’t put it past you to follow us.”
“I can’t… I can’t be trapped in here—” I gasped.
“Wolf,” Sable murmured.
“I’m not risking it,” Wolf said, his voice a firm order.
Sable glanced at me again and frowned.
“Just sit tight, Em. We’ll be back,” Wolf said.
“Wolf, don’t do this! Don’t leave me here like this!” Tears spilled down my face. “I’m gonna… I can’t be tied up! I swear I’m not lying?—
Wolf started ushering the rest of his crew out the door, ignoring me, and I lost it.
“I swear to the gods, if you leave me here like this, I will never forgive you!” I shrieked.
Wolf turned and met my eyes briefly, but he just closed the door, leaving me a prisoner in my clinic again. For a moment, I stood frozen in disbelief, my eyes finding the space by the door where Vulture had sat and watched me work with Trey’s blood staining my clothes and a manacle on my ankle.
Panic abruptly swallowed me. I fought against the ties, sobbing and trying to get my hands free until my wrists were burning with pain and slippery with blood. Like an animal caught in a trap, the only cohesive thought in my head was that Ihadto get free.
The next thing I knew, I was on the ground, resting my forehead against the wooden beam and sobbing hard. I hated Wolf for leaving me like this, but Lee turning his back on me hurt worse. At least now, I knew if it came down to me or my brother, Lee would always choose Wolf.
If any of my crew were killed?—
I barely managed to choke back the bile in my throat, breathing in deeply through my nose, but my breath was coming faster, and I couldn’t stop it. I tried to do Sable’s trick of listing things I could hear, but Trey’s bloody face filled my vision and?—
“Em? Em, wake up. Please wake up!”
I cracked my eyes open and met Apple’s tearful gaze. I lay in an awkward pile on the floor of the clinic with my hands still zip-tied around the beam. My wrists smarted with pain.
“Em! Em, can you hear me?”
Apple’s little hands were on my face.
“I’m okay,” I choked out.
“What happened?” she demanded, her little brow furrowing furiously.
“Wolf tied me up,” I explained numbly, managing to sit up.
